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About the Business Forum

The 4th SDG Business Forum will take place at the United Nations Headquarters
​in New York on 25 September 2019.  The Business Forum provides a unique multi-stakeholder platform to support business action and partnerships to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) – fostering public-private dialogues, catalysing new partnerships and alliances, and exploring innovative business solutions to accelerate sustainable development. 

​The Business Forum will be held during the UN’s 2019 SDG Summit which will be held under the theme of:  “The SDGs... Turning Promises into Reality."

​2018 Outline Agenda

9:15 – 10:00	Opening plenary
10:00 – 11:15	Unlocking the power of business as a force for good: multi-stakeholder implementation of the SDGs and the role of business An interactive dialogue between business leaders, government ministers, and other stakeholders to showcase how they are collaborating at the local level to advance national SDG priorities. The session will focus how to build effective multi-stakeholder platforms at the country level capable of driving solutions to complex systemic challenges – and to learn from promising approaches.
11:15 – 11:45	A new era for responsible business – a conversation with leading CEOs How are leading businesses responding to the challenge of sustainability? What does it mean to be a “responsible business” in the age of the SDGs?
11:45 – 13:00	Leadership & Innovation for the SDGs This session will examine innovative and leading solutions for the SDGs in review during the 2018 HLPF. How can policy reforms enable greater action by the private sector and where the UN system can add greatest value? Are the SDGs providing a new framework for innovation? And how are businesses integrating the SDGs as a framework for future growth?
13:15 – 14:45	High-Level Lunch*
15:00 – 17:00	Parallel session I: Sustainable cities
	Many SDGs under review this year have an urban focus. How are private sector solutions being developed and deployed to make cities more sustainable? Local authorities struggle with raising money for sustainable investments and also wonder how they can make it more attractive for business to invest. What are the solutions?
	Parallel session II: Making the SDGs everyone’s business
	How can the engagement of small businesses on the SDGs be enhanced? A discussion involving multinational corporations, medium sized firms, co-operative, and small-scale businesses to examine the different challenges they face in implementing the SDGs.
	Parallel session III: Policy Dialogue for the SDGs
	Examples of collective action with a focus on the SDGs in review. How is the private sector contributing to national Voluntary National Review processes – and what’s the impact? How can business work with governments to develop policy frameworks and partnerships that drive sustainable development?
17:45 – 19:15	Reception*

* By invitation only.

2018 Featured Speakers

	H.E. Marie Chatardová President of the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations, Ambassador, Permanent Representative of Czech Republic to the United Nations		H.E Miroslav Lajčák President of the General Assembly of the United Nations, 72nd Session
	H.E. Amina Mohamed Deputy Secretary General of the United Nations		Liu Zhenmin Under-Secretary General for Economic and Social Affairs, United Nations
	Lise Kingo CEO and Executive Director, United Nations Global Compact		John W.H. Denton AO Secretary General, International Chamber of Commerce
	Erik Solheim Executive Director, United Nations Programme		Guy Ryder Director General, International Labour Organization
	David Auerbach Co-Founder, Sanergy		Kamaljeet Bhatia CEO, Pumpkart
	Jean-Pierre Clamadieu CEO, Solvay		Amy Jadesimi CEO, Lagos Deep Offshore Logistics Base (LADOL)
	Kimmo Tiilikainen Environment Minister, Finland Government		Lars Linden CEO, Ragn-Sells
	David W. MacLennan CEO, Cargill		Thato Moagi CEO, LeGae La Banareng Farms
	Sylvia Mulinge CEO, Vodacom Tanzania		Sunny Verghese CEO and Co-Founder, Olam International; Chair, World Business Council for Sustainable Development
	Adnan Ahmed Yousif President, CEO and Director, Al Baraka Banking Group B.S.C.		David Croft Global Sustainability Director, Diageo
	Karin Finkelston Vice President of Partnerships, Communications and Outreach, International Finance Corporation		Masaya Futamiya Executive Chairman, Sompo Japan Nipponkoa Insurance
	Martha Herrera Gonzalez Global Director of Corporate Social Responsibility, CEMEX		Lena Hök Senior Vice President Green & Community Investment, Skanska
	Octavio Ibarra Dean of Business School, Universidad del Norte, Colombia		Jerry Kaminski Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Land O’Lakes
	Maria de Lourdes Nunes Head of Corporate Sustainability, Boticário Group Foundation		Rebecca Marmot Global Vice President – Sustainability, Advocacy & Partnerships, Unilever
	Halima Murunga Chief Business Development Officer, Wonderkid		Femi Oke International Journalist and Broadcaster, Senior Host of Al Jazeera English
	Luiz Eduardo Osorio Executive Director for Sustainability and Institutional Relations, Vale		Pierre Victoria Vice President of Sustainable Development, Veolia
	Mark Watts Executive Director, C40 Cities		Steve Waygood Chief Responsible Investments Officer, Aviva Investors
	Luis Alberto Atala Executive Vice-President of Ficohsa Financial Group (Grupo Financiero Ficohsa)		Tania Cosentino President South America, Schneider-Electric
	H.E. Doris Leuthard Federal Councillor, Swiss Confederation		Roberto Marques Executive Chairman, Natura
	H.E. Luis Fernando Mejia Minister of National Planning, Government of Colombia		H.E. Senida Mesi Deputy Prime Minister, Government of Albania
	H.E. Yoka Brandt Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kingdom of the Netherlands		Agustín Delgado Martín Chief, Innovation & Sustainability, Iberdrola
	Michael Nolan Director, Cities Programme, UN Global Compact		Anne Gadegaard Associate Director, Corporate Sustainability, Novo Nordisk
	Karine Rouge President, Suez North America		Antonia Stroeh Senior Vice President, Public Private Partnerships, Mastercard
	Rose Christine Ossouka Mayor of Libreville		Gavin Power Chief Sustainability Officer, PIMCO
	Jane Nelson Director of the Corporate Responsibility Initiative, Harvard Kennedy School		Brian Griffith Chairman, Griffith Foods
	Xhelal Danaj Relikaj Ltd		Cristiana Paşca Palmer Executive Secretary, The Convention on Biological Diversity
	Dorothea Schuetz Deputy Director, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Germany		Ricardo Dueñas Chief Executive Office, Ekos
	Gualter Crisostomo Head of Corporate Governance, CEiiA		Adriana Leles Special Advisor to the CEO, SANASA
	Hermance De La Bastide Head of Public Affairs, Pernaud Ricard

Highlights from Business Forum

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​News​ 
SDG Business Forum urged to do business responsibly and accelerate sustainable development

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